Joy Villa

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Joy Villa
Joy Villa at the "Spirit of America" rally
Joy Villa at the "Spirit of America" rally
Background information
Birth nameJoy Angela Villa
Born (1986-04-25) April 25, 1986 (age 37)
Orange, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active2001–present
Websitewww.joyvilla.com

Joy Angela Villa (/ˈvlə/; born April 25, 1986[1][better source needed]) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, and YouTuber. She is known for her outspoken support of former United States President Donald Trump, and various conservative and right-wing political and social causes.

Early life[edit]

Villa was born in Orange, California. Her father Rev. Joseph Villa was an Italian-Argentine, while her mother Mildred Angela Pierce Villa was African American and had some Choctaw ancestry. Her maternal great-uncle was jazz vocalist Kenny Hagood.[2] She attended high school at Lompoc High School,[3] and graduated in 2004.[4][5]

Entertainment career[edit]

Villa has worked as an actress and producer. From age 14 to 16, she was with Youth Network TV on Comcast Television. These roles include starring as a lovestruck young woman in romantic comedy "The Contrast", Kushite Princess Amesemian in "Brigantia", an umbrella-wielding carny in the Heroes Season 4 episode "Orientation", and other appearances on CSI: NY, The Valley Girls and MTV Next.

Grammy Award outfits[edit]

Villa is known for her flamboyant outfits which she has worn to the Grammy Awards. These include:

  • For the 2015 Grammy Awards, she wore a see-through dress made entirely out of orange construction-fencing material, designed by Andre Soriano.[6] The dress was called "unusual"[7] and "a first."[8]
  • For the 2016 Grammy Awards, she wore a similarly see-through dress consisting mostly of fabric spikes. The Huffington Post named it as one of its "Most Outrageous Looks From The 2016 Grammys."[9]
  • At the 2017 Grammy Awards, Villa wore a blue dress, again designed by Andre Soriano, promoting President Donald Trump, featuring his campaign slogan "Make America Great Again" and the name "Trump".[10][11] The publicity from the dress may have helped Villa's EP I Make the Static hitting number 1 among digital downloads on Amazon.com, and iTunes in the US.[12] It climbed up the top 100 of several other countries' iTunes charts too, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and Brazil. The album sold over 15,000 copies in the following two days,[13] and debuted on the Billboard charts the next week at number 12 with 29,000 album equivalent units, 27,000 of which were pure album sales. The EP also ranked number 2 on the Digital Albums chart and number 6 on the Top Album Sales chart,[14] as well as being the top-selling rock/alternative album of the week.
  • At the 2018 Grammy Awards, Villa wore a white dress with a hand-painted fetus inside of a rainbow uterus on it along with a purse bearing the slogan, "Choose Life."[15]
  • At the 2019 Grammy Awards, Villa wore a reflective silver dress with a black outline of bricks all around except for an area with "Build the Wall" spelled out in red in a large section on the backside of the garment, borrowing the font of Pink Floyd's The Wall.[16] She also wore a metallic collar signifying a barbed wire fence, a spiked crown referencing the Statue of Liberty, and sported a red "Make America Great Again" handbag.[17][18]
  • At the 2020 Grammy Awards, she wore a red, white and blue pro-Trump dress that said "impeached and re-elected" on the back.

Political views and career[edit]

Villa is a supporter of Donald Trump, having joined Donald Trump's Campaign Advisory Board.[19] Villa had stated that she supported Senator Bernie Sanders early in the 2016 United States presidential election but soon switched to supporting Trump in the general election.

On May 5, 2018, Villa joined the UK March for Life in London. She led the march from Trafalgar Square to Parliament Square.[20]

In 2019, during a debate against a Black Lives Matter activist, Joy Villa referred to Black Lives Matter as a "terrorist organization". She also said that the movement does not address Black-on-Black crime and that most people who have been killed by the police are criminals.[21] Villa earlier supported BLM and was using a #blm hashtag the day after the 2016 election. She later said she supported Black Lives Matter "until they started killing cops."[22]

Villa has supported the far-right QAnon conspiracy theory, and has on a number of occasions worn QAnon-themed clothing accessories.[23] In September 2019, Villa was scheduled to speak at the QAnon-themed "Digital Soldiers Conference", which was later cancelled.

In 2020 Joy Villa Productions received $12,000 from ViralPAC for marketing.[24][25]

On November 9, 2020, Villa appeared at a Trump Rally in Mount Juliet TN. Villa said: "Because come Inauguration Day we will see the truth. That President Trump will again be their president." Villa also said that "God is on our side" and advised the crowd to trust in God. "We know he [Trump] was chosen for a time such as this. This could have been the main reason that he’s in office.".[26] Villa also said she can't understand how gender neutral people can be confused about their gender identity.[27]

On November 10, 2020, Villa appeared on RT America, which is a part of the Russia Today network, a global multilingual television news network based in Moscow, Russia. Villa commented on the 2020 US president election, and said "There is too much voter fraud allegations coming about, we see dead voters who have come up from the grave and miraculously voted for Joe Biden."[28]

Personal life[edit]

Joy Villa grew up in New York City and Santa Barbara, California and has toured in over 25 countries including Denmark, South Africa, France, Italy, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Mexico, often visiting Scientology centers in those countries.[29] Villa is a Scientologist[30] and credits her study of Scientology for improving her life and career.[31] Villa has described herself as a "Christian Scientologist".[32]

In December 2016 she married Danish writer and photographer Thorsten Overgaard after 4 years together.[33] On September 25, 2019, she announced via social media she had amicably filed for divorce.[34]

On November 28, 2017, Villa filed a police complaint against Trump's former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski for allegedly slapping her buttocks at a holiday party at the Trump International Hotel Washington D.C. Villa admitted she waited a month before talking to police.[35][36] Villa alleged that after she told him that she could report him for sexual harassment, Lewandowski said, "I work in the private sector" and slapped her again.[37] Lewandowski did not deny these allegations but responded by saying that "There is a due process and there is a process which they will go through to determine a person’s innocence."[38]

On November 15, 2020, at a Nashville-based "Stop the Steal" rally, Joy Villa said that God had told her to move from California to Nashville, Tennessee.[39]

Discography[edit]

Extended plays[edit]

Title Details Peak chart
positions
Sales
US
[14]
US Rock
US Alternative
I Make the Static
  • Release date: July 11, 2014
  • Format: digital download
12 1[40] 1[41]
  • US: 29,000
Home Sweet Home
  • Release date: January 25, 2018
  • Format: digital download

Singles[edit]

  • "Cold Wind" (2011)
  • "Drop Him Off" (2012)
  • "Vagabonds" (2014)
  • "Run and Hide" (2014)
  • "Beautiful" (2014)
  • "Get Your Freedom" (2014)
  • "Play" (2015)
  • "Empty" (2016)
  • "Make America Great Again!" (2017)
  • "Devil in the City" (2018)
  • "Lost" (2018)
  • "The Star Spangled Banner" (2018)
  • "Home Sweet Home" (2018)
  • "Freedom (Fight For It)" (2019)

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Article• Feb 26, 2019". 2paragraphs. February 11, 2019.
  2. ^ Villa, Joy. "Princess Joy Villa". Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  3. ^ Villa, Joy. "Princess Joy Villa: About Me". Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  4. ^ "Old Friends - Class of 2004 - Lompoc High School - $3 Lifetime subscription".
  5. ^ "Reconnect with friends from Classmates Test High School, find reunions, view yearbook photos and more". Classmates.com.
  6. ^ Lott-Schwartz, Hannah (February 10, 2015). "That Grammy Dress Was Designed by a Local". NBC San Diego. Retrieved February 13, 2017. the orange gown made of recycled snow- or construction-fencing material
  7. ^ Izadi, Elahe. "Joy Villa wears a 'Make America Great Again' dress to Grammys". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 13, 2017. Villa has a bit of history with unusual red carpet looks: She basically wore orange plastic fencing in 2015
  8. ^ Tejada, Chloe (February 9, 2015). "Joy Villa's Grammys 2015 Dress Is A First For The Red Carpet". The Huffington Post. Retrieved February 13, 2017. She's not a household name yet, but Joy Villa's 2015 Grammys dress will probably change that. On Sunday, Feb. 8, the aspiring singer wore an outfit that has definitely never been worn before on a red carpet.
  9. ^ Persad, Michelle (February 15, 2016). "The Most Outrageous Looks From The 2016 Grammys". The Huffington Post. Retrieved February 13, 2017. This year, we saw tons of looks that left us with our jaws on the floor. Singer Jes Brieden got weird in black, Z LaLa made a statement in a headpiece and Joy Villa wore a big bow and ... not much else.
  10. ^ Romaine, Jenna (February 12, 2017). "Joy Villa Unveils Donald Trump 'Make America Great Again' Dress on the Grammy Red Carpet". Billboard.com. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
  11. ^ Easter, Makeda (February 12, 2017). "'Make America Great Again' Grammy dress is about love, but the Internet's not buying it". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 13, 2017. Singer-songwriter Joy Villa chose to get political on the red carpet with a red, white and blue, bedazzled "Make America Great Again" dress.
  12. ^ "Sales Skyrocket After Joy Villa Wears Pro-Trump Dress To Grammys". CBS Pittsburgh (KDKA). Retrieved February 13, 2017. the 25-year-old's EP "I Make The Static" jumped to number one on Amazon's top digital albums and is still there Monday. She was also climbing the charts on iTunes.
  13. ^ "Joy Villa's Trump Grammy Dress Driving Possible Top 10 Debut on Billboard 200 Albums Chart". Billboard. February 15, 2017. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  14. ^ a b Hodak, Brittany. "Joy Villa's Pro-Trump Grammy Dress Leads To 26,545 Downloads And Billboard Top 200 Debut". Forbes. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  15. ^ Chuba, Kirsten (January 28, 2018). "Joy Villa Wears Anti-Abortion Dress on 2018 Grammys Red Carpet". Variety. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  16. ^ "Pro-Trump musician Joy Villa wears "Build the Wall" dress on Grammys red carpet". February 11, 2019.
  17. ^ "'I don't care what anyone thinks': Pro-Trump singer flaunts 'Build the Wall' dress at the Grammys". Washington Post.
  18. ^ "Pro-Trump Singer Joy Villa Comes Dressed as a Literal Border Wall for the 2019 Grammys". PEOPLE.com. February 11, 2019.
  19. ^ Wisner, Matthew (October 31, 2017). "Bryan Cranston may lose jobs for Trump comments: Joy Villa". Fox Business. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  20. ^ "Thousands join March for Life in London – pictures & video". Catholic Herald. May 5, 2018. Archived from the original on April 28, 2019. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
  21. ^ "Black Woman Debates Black Man About Black Lives Matter Movement | Face Your Hater | New York Post" – via www.youtube.com.
  22. ^ http://ibankcoin.com/zeropointnow/files/2017/11/cops.png[bare URL image file]
  23. ^ Holt, Jared (September 24, 2020). "GOP House Judiciary Members Call QAnon Supporter to Testify on Diversity in Media". Right Wing Watch. Retrieved October 17, 2020.
  24. ^ "ViralPAC PAC Expenditures".
  25. ^ "ViralPAC Outside Spending | OpenSecrets".
  26. ^ "Singer Joy Villa and Tennessee Congressman John Rose Urge Donald Trump Supporters to Keep the Faith in Mount Juliet". November 10, 2020.
  27. ^ "- YouTube". www.youtube.com.
  28. ^ "Joy Villa - RT America - 11.10.20.mov" – via www.youtube.com.
  29. ^ ""www.joyvilla.com"". www.joyvilla.com. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  30. ^ Stuart, Gwynedd (February 11, 2019). "Scientologist Joy Villa Turned the Grammys Into Another MAGA Fashion Show". Los Angeles Magazine.
  31. ^ "The Magic of Scientologist and Singer-Songwriter Joy Villa". Scientology Newsroom. October 8, 2016. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  32. ^ "Joy Villa Explains What a Christian Scientologist is and How & Why She Studies Scientology". YouTube. 2020. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  33. ^ "Who The Heck Is The Girl Wearing The 'Make America Great Again' Dress?". TooFab. February 12, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  34. ^ Villa, Joy [@Joy_Villa] (September 25, 2019). ".@overgaard & I are amicably getting a divorce after 7 wonderful years together, 3 of them in marriage. We part as close friends with immense love & respect for one another & the journey we have been blessed to share. I am grateful for all the wonderful adventures we've had!❤️ https://t.co/kPLRQXI3ab" (Tweet). Archived from the original on January 29, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2021 – via Twitter.
  35. ^ "Singer Joy Villa says she wants justice to be served in sexual assault allegation against Corey Lewandowski". ABC News. December 29, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  36. ^ "Trump supporter Joy Villa says she filed a sexual assault complaint against Corey Lewandowski". Fox News. December 26, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  37. ^ "Singer Joy Villa alleges Corey Lewandowski assaulted her at Trump hotel party". CNN. December 27, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  38. ^ "Corey Lewandowski Responds to Joy Villas Sexual Assault Allegations". Fox Business. December 27, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  39. ^ "'Stop the Steal' Rallies a Second Time in Nashville with Double the Numbers". November 15, 2020.
  40. ^ "Joy Villa". Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  41. ^ "Joy Villa". Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2021.

External links[edit]